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26 Feb 2007

Mango Tango Time

Mangoes are popular for their wonderful flavor and for being a highly nutritious fruit. Cultivated in India and Malaysia for thousands of years mangoes were introduced in the 19th Century to Africa and the West Indies. Mangoes are now cultivated in many countries worldwide.

They contain high amounts of vitamin A and C, are a good source of vitamins B1, B2 and B3, with folic acid, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Mangoes also contain tryptophan.

The enzymes and antioxidants contained in mangoes are excellent for detoxing the system and for replenishing salts, vitamins and energy after physical exercise. The phenols in mangoes are said to be an excellent protection against various cancers.

Mangoes contain glutaminic acid which is excellent for concentration and for the memory. A great fruit to eat when studying.

Green mango with pepper is said to cure biliousness and mango with salt to quench thirst.

In some parts of the world mango leaves are used externally on burns and internally for diarrhea and kidney stones.

Mangoes are ready to eat when slightly soft to the touch and have a yellow or red skin or a mixture of green and red skin, depending on the variety. They can be ripened by placing them in a paper bag and storing at room temperature. Once ripe they will keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.

Mangoes can be found fresh, dried and tinned. They are excellent in both sweet and savory dishes.

Place liquids along with ginger, garlic, spices and sugar in a stainless steel pan and boil until reduce by half. Meanwhile, skin and dice the mangoes and kiwifruit. Clean and cut the chilli into very fine strips. Add the fruit and chilli to the hot liquid and cook a further 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into prepared preserve jars. Store in a cool, dry place.

Mango-Ginger Sorbet from VegetarianTimes Fresh ginger makes a surprising addition to a frozen treat. With its lively flavor, this sorbet enhances a main course or works equally well as a refreshing dessert.

Combine water and sugar, and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture turns slightly syrupy. Combine sugar water and diced mangos in container of blender and process for 3 to 4 seconds; the mixture should still retain some mango texture. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl and stir to combine well. Pour mixture into ice cream freezer container and churn according to manufacturer’s directions. When firm, scoop mixture into container, cover, and freeze for 30 minutes, if needed to firm. To serve, garnish each portion with lime zest. Makes one quart.

Tropical Papaya or Mango Squares from from VegetarianTimes This unusual dessert can be made as triangles or as rolls as well. If you can’t find coconut syrup, use the thick, presweetened cream of coconut mixture used for bar drinks.

To make Filling: Cut papayas or mangoes and banana into bite-sized pieces. Put fruit, seasonings, coconut and sour cream into bowl. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.To make Filo: Remove 8 to 10 sheets filo from package, covering remaining filo with plastic wrap. Cut filo to fit pan. Spray every sheet or every other sheet with nonstick cooking spray, or brush with vegan marg as you place them in pan. Spread fruit mixture on top of filo layers. Remove another 8 to 10 sheets filo from package, and top filling with remaining filo, spraying or brushing sheets as before. Bake about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool slightly, slice and serve with scoop of ice cream and lime wedge. Have bowl of coconut syrup on table for topping, if desired. Servings 4.

Ahhhhhhh, mangoes--one of my top favorite fruits. Only juicy pomegranates and plump blueberries can equal a fully ripe dripping mango in wonderfulness to me. And I've got a ripe mango with my name on it in the fridge!

Jackie, I love all the nutritional info you post; your blog's like a vegan food encyclopedia.

Mango and kiwi sounds so good. I bought 2 mangos and 4 kiwi this past weekend and DH has already devoured one of the mangos. He loves them. Maybe I should hide the other one in hopes that my kiwi will ripen soon. lol

Mangoes- YUM! Your recipes all look intriguing, but my favorite way to eat mango has got to be just plain, maybe with a squeeze of lime. In college, I once when through a phase where I ate mango for breakfast every day for weeks!

I alos adore mangos - probably on my Top 10 of fave fruits. I buy the frozen chunks at Trader Joe's (a great store, are they across the pond yet?!) and snack on 'em often. Love the recipes here, thank you for sharing!

We used to have a mango tree on the west side of our house, but hurricane Frances broke it pretty bad, and hurricane Jeanne broke it a couple of feet above ground. I've never missed a tree before, but we miss that mango tree. In the few years we were able to enjoy it's fruit, it put out prodigious amounts of mangos. Lovely Wife and I ate them until we couldn't hardly stand to see one. We'd take them to church and set them out for anyone who wanted them, I'd take some to work to give away. That tree was amazing. But, they are EXTREMELY brittle trees and the hurricane winds were too much for it.

Anyhoo, our favorite thing was to take some of the fruit we had cut up and frozen and substitute it into our favorite peach cobbler recipe. Hands down, the mango makes the very best cobbler I have ever eaten.